National Cholesterol Month: how a handful of California prunes can help improve cholesterol levels
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October marks National Cholesterol Month, which seeks to raise awareness of the dangers associated with high cholesterol, and the importance of maintaining healthy levels. According to the NHS, too much cholesterol can lead to heart disease or a stroke.
With prunes highlighted by charity Heart UK as an example of a ‘cholesterol-busting’ food, the California Prune Board has pointed to recent research that shows how eating a handful of prunes daily can help improve cholesterol levels.
Donn Zea, Executive Director, California Prune Board says: “A research abstract presented at the recent American Society for Nutrition’s annual conference[1] showed how, in a small group of older men, long-term prune consumption improved HDL (good) cholesterol and the total cholesterol to HDL ratio, while decreasing oxidative stress and the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein.”
The study, entitled the Daily Consumption of Prune Provides Cardiovascular Benefits in Older Men, was part of the latest round of studies part-funded by the California Prune Board to demonstrate the health benefits of prunes.
Donn adds: “Cholesterol can be lowered naturally with diet and exercise, so eating the right foods is key. Eating just a handful of prunes a day, alongside a range of other fruit and vegetables and foods containing unsaturated fats, can play a role in improving health thanks to the fibre and other nutrients they contain.”
It follows previous research by San Diego State University which suggests that eating prunes every day may improve cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women[2].
“Though researchers are in the early stages of showing how prunes can support cardiovascular health, it is encouraging to see these results and how eating prunes can help tackle cholesterol,” concludes Donn.
For more information on the nutritional benefits of California Prunes, visit www.californiaprunes.net
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33978491/
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Editors notes
The California Prune Board was established in 1952 to represent growers and handlers under the authority of the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture. California is the world’s largest producer of prunes with orchards across 14 counties in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Promoting a lifetime of wellness through the enjoyment of California Prunes, the organisation leads the premium prune category with generations of craftsmanship supported by California’s leading food safety and sustainability standards. California Prunes. Prunes. For life.
